Karkat couldn't quite remember when he'd first developed his little flush-crush.

You didn't even know he had one.

There was definitely the first time he actually talked to you-

That at least could be remembered clearly.

You were both still young; Karkat was in most of your classes during school. He would sometimes see you, but neither of you really liked to talk, or talked to each other. Then one day, he remembered, you hadn't been in class for the past week.

When you finally showed up, you were marauded by girls, all worried and shit. After a moment of them squealing over every word you said, and you only replied with such quiet replies. After the last thing you said, no one seemed to speak.

"She's fine," you had said, then quieter: "She's fine." You then brushed past them, stopping at your seat beside of his. "Um, sorry, but do you think you could maybe pull the chair out for me, please?" You asked him, stumbling over almost every word. "I, er, my, shoulder, is, ummmmm... Really sore today, and I would prefer not to use it..." You said. Your [not dominant side] arm hung uselessly at your side, as if you couldn't move it at all.

"Sure." He replied, none too quiet as per usual as he pulled your chair out for you.

"Thanks." And with those words spoken, your exchange had ended.

Slowly over the course of the school day, Karkat learned what had supposedly happened through whispers.

You were in a car crash(Karkrash... Heehee).

Your mom didn't drop you off as usual.

You seemed depressed.

You hadn't moved your [n/d/s] arm at all.

You were acting very shy around Karkat.

Almost none of these were actually related, however. At least, Karkat didn't think so.

The next day in gym class, it became obvious what was wrong with you.

The class was throwing around footballs for a grade, and you were assigned in a group with Karkat and another boy you didn't know very well. As you had been doing the day before, you were doing everything with your [dominant side] arm.

the gym teacher, Dirk, was going around and checking on the way everyone was throwing. He couldn't just leave you alone after all, you were taught to use both arms to throw.

"[Name], try throwing using your other arm, too." He suggested. You looked at him with horror, then stared at your feet and muttered something quietly.

"What was that?"

"I wish I could." You managed, and bit back your own tears. You attempted to reach up with both hands to wipe away the oncoming tears, but you could only move your [d/s] arm. "I-I just wish I could." You muttered once again before turning around and running inside.

Soon, the female gym teacher came into the locker room you were hiding in. You were trying to hide it as long as you could. The only other person in the school without use of anything besides their brains, Tavros, had dealt with enough crap and you knew you didn't want to be part of it. The car crash had left you shattered; who were you to think you could at least act like you had it together when you couldn't even use both of your arms?

Oh, right. The newly crippled girl whose only parent was a man who worked at nights and got home in time just enough to drive you to school.

You could just imagine the looks on the other students' faces when word got out that you were a fucking CRIPPLE.

You attempted to ignore the woman knocking on the locker door, because, yes, you were hiding in a locker with the door cracked open, and, yes, you thought it would be a good idea.

"[Name]? It's okay, it's just your gym teacher." She said like that encouraged you to come out.

"It's not okay. I'm a CRIPPLE, and as soon as I come out, everyone else is gonna laugh at me because of it like they do with Tavros. Leave me alone."

"They're not gonna laugh at you. You're overreacting. Do you want me to call your mom?" She asked, which just made you cry harder.

"She's DEAD! Now leave me alone!"

Later, after much coaxing and so much food bribery, she managed to get you to come out of the locker and come back to your classes. When you stepped into fourth period math class, the children stopped and stared at you. You looked at the floor and continued to your seat, where your stuff was neatly placed on your desk. Not having anything in your arms this time,you simply pulled out the chair and sat down. Your head immediately hit the table along with one of your arms. No doubt everyone knew now, if not about your arm then the fact that you ran out of gym class and didn't show up until two hours later.

Soon you raised your head off the table, to find a note on your desk.

YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT IT?

~K

You looked to your side to see Karkat next to you, then started scrawling a reply.

Maybe a little.

~[first initial]

WHAT HAPPENED EARLIER?

~K

My mom died in the car crash and I lost use of my [n/d/s] arm. So now I'm a cripple who I'm afraid everyone will make fun of because of my arm.

~[f/i]

OH. THAT SUCKS. I'LL

The next part seemed to have been furiously erased, then rewritten, then crossed out, then the rest of the sentence written on the other side. Probably because that's what happened.

IF YOU WANT I CAN HELP YOU OUT DURING SCHOOL.

~K

That would be great. Thanks, Karkat.

~[f/i]

Karkat kept true to his promise; he helped you when you needed it, the teachers were all alerted to your condition but the students were never told, and you and Karkat became the best of friends.

But lately these days he's been acting strange. You're in high school now, and you expected Karkt to change some, but now all he ever seems to be is angry, or distant. You don't know why he's acting like this, but it would really suck for Karkat to stop being your friend. You're planning on confronting him about it at school tomorrow.